[harpo1]

  I discovered, Mojo sounds much nicer to the ear via usb than coax. Why is that?
I use Mojo with Foobar Asio driver and Android. The sound is much smoother than coax or optical. Livelier with better bass (quantity and quality). I tried coax from DX80, and while it is still a nice sound, highs are more piercing, and hurts my ears after a while. Sound is very clear and transparent, but not that consistent as usb. Coax sounded like crystal clear needles to my ears. While usb is a velvety smooth night sky with stars.

I'd love to hear someone's take on this since I'm debating between this and the Grace Design X Massdrop M9XX.  I'd like to use it in a similar fashion as you.

 

[Ike1985]

I believe I read that clicks within the main region were 1db each, but much finer at the extremes (where one ball stays solid and only the other cycles through the colors). Certainly not 5db per click at any point.

That would mean I'm normally listening at less than 10db.

 

[betula]

  I'd love to hear someone's take on this since I'm debating between this and the Grace Design X Massdrop M9XX.  I'd like to use it in a similar fashion as you.

I was also wondering between these two, since portability is not that important to me. Reviews say there is not much of a sq difference between them. Mojo is better with IEMs than M9XX. But I do not care much about that, as mainly I use full size open. I bought Mojo as it was more available here, and I also had a great deal on it. No regrets at all. I do not even care too much anymore about M9XX, as Mojo keeps me amazed day by day since I bought it. (Two weeks ago.)

 

[Skampmeister]

But are the mojo's lights truly accurate when some albums are quieter and some albums are louder than others?

You are aware that albums are recorded at different volume levels. Most new recordings are loud (loudness wars) while most older albums are quieter, and perform a hell of a lot better when turned up.

 

[Chefano]

  I've been reading that the sub bass is rolled off a bit, as are the highs, can anyone confirm this?

The sub bass is just a little bit rolled of, the upper treble roll off is more pronounced IMO.

 

[Paul Meakin]

I'm using the Plenue M, optical out into the Mojo... for the person that asked earlier, I forgot to press the Quote button!

Is it good?

 
Yes. The Plenue M is pretty good by itself but the sound is bigger, bolder and more detailed with the Mojo.
 
The tricky question is would I carry both as a truly portable system... at the moment I'm not sure that I would given that the Plenue is very listenable standalone, and there's always the concern about how robust the optical cable is.

 

[Invocation]

   
Yes. The Plenue M is pretty good by itself but the sound is bigger, bolder and more detailed with the Mojo.
 
The tricky question is would I carry both as a truly portable system... at the moment I'm not sure that I would given that the Plenue is very listenable standalone, and there's always the concern about how robust the optical cable is.

Wait... I think Plenue M and 1's optical out is just the phone out? So when you connecting it to Mojo you are using the DAC of Mojo instead of PM, which means the sound signature would be different, rather than simply amped.

 

[x RELIC x]

Wait... I think Plenue M and 1's optical out is just the phone out? So when you connecting it to Mojo you are using the DAC of Mojo instead of PM, which means the sound signature would be different, rather than simply amped.

No, the optical out is digital and not the same as the headphone out. Yes, the only way to use the Mojo is to feed it a digital signal to use its Digital to Analogue Converter, the magic of the Mojo.

 

[Invocation]

No, the optical out is digital and not the same as the headphone out. Yes, the only way to use the Mojo is to feed it a digital signal to use its Digital to Analogue Converter, the magic of the Mojo.

Right, but still this will make the pretty good Plenue DAC chip useless...

 

[Paul Meakin]

 
Wait... I think Plenue M and 1's optical out is just the phone out? So when you connecting it to Mojo you are using the DAC of Mojo instead of PM, which means the sound signature would be different, rather than simply amped.

 
I suspect your confusion is caused by the Plenue M's headphone out and optical out using the same dual purpose socket...? 

 

[Paul Meakin]

 
Right, but still this will make the pretty good Plenue DAC chip useless...

 
Only when using it with the Mojo... I also use it without the Mojo, in fact I'm listening to it that way now with Fostex TH-900s and it's really very good.

 

[mscott58]

+1

I like getting personal e-mails from Todd.  I had a problem with my iPhone-Mojo-CCK connection and Todd was very helpful.  It was a defective Apple CCK.  I also personally wouldn't buy an expensive silver interconnect like Moon sells that still needs the Apple CCK.  Use the cable that comes from Chord and the CCK or look for less expensive 3rd party solutions in the 3rd post.

At $599 for the product of the year I doubt that you are going to find serious discounts.

Understand your point of view, but please remember that any cable made with the mFi chip in it that isn't an official Apple cable (like the CCK) or Apple certified cable is technically a hack. Due to this there is the chance that Apple finds a way to block such hacks in the future and then you'd be left with an unsupported cable. Just an FYI. Cheers

 

[CareyPrice31]

My stack - what do you guys think?
 

 

[jarnopp]

That would mean I'm normally listening at less than 10db.

10db of gain? I think the only way to know would be to measure the output and add that gain to your ciem's sensitivity. If it were 10db (10 mW), with 22ohm iems that would require about 0.5w. Also, with 115db sensitivity, that would give you a 132db spl...and you'd be deaf now, I think (but my math could be off).

 

[AudioBear]

Can't argue with that but I bought two alternative "hacked" cables and two CCK adaptors for the price of another vendor's CCK-requiring solution.  I own a lot of Apple products but that doesn't mean that I have to respect the constraints they try to place on my fair use.  Everybody has to decide for themselves how they want to spend their money.  Some people hear a difference between copper and silver, I don't so I save a lot of $$.
 
On a technical note, you state the "hacked" cables start with a Apple CCK to get the chip so I'm not sure it's really much of a hack that might annoy Apple.  Do we know this for sure or has the chip been cloned?  That would of course be of more concern to Apple or any other vendor.
 
From my point of view the risk is that if it fails Apple isn't going to fix or replace it.  I have already had one defective CCK so this is a real possibility.